Talk:Classes/@comment-137.207.0.235-20111125163939/@comment-70.65.236.137-20111129210438
I never said the question was invalid, just likely unanswerable or a question that would not get an answer (therefore rhetorical). I was a bit emphatic of my denial, but it is true that nobody here has the specifics of the formula to answer about it and that there are several factors so guessing at it is no simple matter. While it's true that you could estimate at a formula, the best you would get is an estimate which may be good enough, but nobody has really done it.. There are several factors to consider which could throw off estimates too, but in general, if your samples were adequately controlled you could do well enough. You'd need to document arena matches with jobs of the same arena type and no ability activation to get a rough estimate for base calculation which should give a rough answer the the op's question. Comparing estimated damage return on a card of the same type and documented results on a card of similar defense of a type that has a disadvantage, you could work out the arena type multiplier advantage with a sufficient sample assuming no ability activation. Likewise for attack against a defense with a disadvantage. By comparing the numbers on the same fight with and without certain ability activations, it would be possible to estimate what the arena ability effect may be (which is meaningful for any of the special attacks since they don't list % effects). I too use net value to estimate strength and it has proved sufficiently accurate for my purposes. Arena strategy would be better discussed on the arena page, but I'd say that for arena purposes, I'd advise the use of the net value to give the best guess of a job's strength and to take advantage of 3 ability slots for 3 different ability types of the highest level when possible (Sudden-death is very helpful too, I've found). When selecting your fights, try to use the type advantage as best you can, select your strongest cards, select the weakest opponents (preferably ones that you know to also have weaker abilities as well), try for a formation when it suits you, and you'll win most of the time. I'm not sure how they grab the cards your opponent is using, but I believe it to be whatever cards you leave up so I try to be kind and leave whatever formations and weaker cards I have up so that others can fill in their formation list and I would hope that others do the same that way I too can fill mine. Also, I didn't mention in my earlier explanation which listed reasons including formations, skills, arena abilities and job collection, but I just remembered yet another reason to merge for a weaker special merge card would be as a material for yet another special merge card. It hasn't happened yet, but they could easily make Shrine Master/Maiden a material card for yet another, maybe even better Special Merge Card.